Try Moving Series – Posture

Posture is not just about how straight we stand, but how we approach life and how other people perceive us to be. At trimoving we are going to explore the impacts of our posture from a physical, emotional and social perspective. We must all strive to stand tall, feel self-assured and project fearlessness as we venture off to the world.

Physical

The benefits of a good posture are well known to be reduced lower back pain, less tension in the shoulders and deeper and easier breathing. But it goes well beyond that. A good posture means you can actually see more. With your head straight, and not staring down at the floor (or your phone), you can see further forward as well as increase your periphery vision; you, quite literally, are able to see obstacles well before they come near you. A good posture means your chest is open and your lungs have the space to filter your air comfortably. When you breathe easy you are much more relaxed and able to face any challenge calmly and with focus. See as much as you can see, calmly face the challenges ahead, breathe well, feel well, all by simply straightening your back.

Now is the time, roll your shoulders back, let your head lightly float above and proudly stand tall.

Emotional

For decades people have been talking about and embodying the “power pose”. Research has shown that the “power pose”, best demonstrated by Wonder Woman’s pose – feet slightly apart, chest and head lifted, and hands on hips – indeed changes your hormonal balance in a manner that increases your confidence. Physically embodying a self-assured character (which could be someone we look up to or even ourselves at a time when we were feeling at our best). The saying “things are looking up” refers to an improvement and a sense of hopefulness, so start looking up physically so that you can feel that things are looking up emotionally. Just as a tall posture enables you to better see physical obstacles, it is also a state of mind that enables you to see potential ahead.

Now is the time, stand tall, feel confident see the potential of greatness. While others are too busy looking down, you can seize the moment to become as great as you want become.

Social

When describing the “power pose”, people often describe it as taking up as much space as you can. Metaphorically speaking this is true for your role in a social environment. Whatever your role, whatever your responsibilities, whomever you interact with, be proud of what you have to contribute. On a more practical level, as discussed above, having a good posture has physical benefits that lead to feeling strong and relaxed as well as emotional benefits that lead to feeling confident and self-assured. When approaching a social interaction, standing tall, looking people in the eye, whilst feeling inner strength and carrying a confident state of mind, the reaction by those you interact with tends to be much more positive and respectful; it would certainly be more positive than if you approach them hunched over, looking down, feeling weak and/or feeling self-doubt. Whatever people’s reaction to you may be, when you stand tall you can see it and react in a manner that is consistent with their behaviour; when looking down, you may miss nuances of people’s reaction and miss an opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings.

Now is the time for you to stand tall and be proud of your contribution to society. It is time for you to bravely look people in the eye, not fearing disagreements and, even more importantly, observe and appreciate people’s positive reactions to what you have to offer.

Your posture affects how you feel physically, emotionally and how people respond to you in social interactions. Do what you need to do to be physically strong, emotionally resilient and socially celebrated. Stand tall, feel proud and notice that people notice you for all the good that you do.